If Only You Could Have
by Ship-goddess
Summary: After a serious incident, only Nico knew about, he is forced to deal on his own. Hades is offered the decision to give his son a gift, a gift he probably shouldn't have given his son. It could either change Nico's life for the better of hurt him deeper than imaginable. This is an AU, though it does take place at CHB.
1. Prologue

Nico sat kneeling down, shaking his head sobbing. The tears soaking his shirt as he sobbed quietly. His heart heart hammering in his ears as he grasped at what was left. He hadn't called anyone, for he knew the damage has already been done.

He was driving himself crazy, screaming in his head. His throat dry and horse from yelling already. Slightly rocking back and forth, his stomach burned. Every emotion was roaring inside of him. Nico's stomach felt as if it was on fire, but didn't care. He beat down on the ground. The look in his eyes solemn.

It was taking everything to keep himself together. He yearned for a second chance, for a chance to do everything over. His head hanging low, his body limp. He grabbed at the dirt, hoping he would hear his cry. Hoping he could change it. His vision blurred as he hopelessly prayed to whomever cared to listen.

Let this be a dream, let this be a dream. He thought to himself. Banging on the ground with his fist angrily, his knuckles began to swell. Nothing could stop him from beating the ground angrily. His knuckles bruising and bleeding with each hit. Cursing his father as his eyelids began to close. His body slouching against the cabin wall behind him. Giving up..


	2. 2

Nico was lying on the cold floor before his father's throne. His eyes lazily staring at the feet of his father. He didn't bother looking up. His hair falling over his eyes. He laid there before a voice spoke.

"Good morning, Nico." The lack of emotion in his father's voice chilling.

Nico attempted to speak but found himself unable to. Hesitantly meeting the eyes of his father. Hades held his gaze.

"There is a gift you shall recieve soon, accept or reject it if you will." He said impatiently tapping his foot.

His eyes full of disapproval. Gesturing Nico to stand up, he looked at him with gaurded eyes, making his son uncomfortable. Before ending the conversation he says, "I am truly sorry, yet it is my final decision to carry on with it."

A slight furrow in his eyebrows appeared before being waved off and waking up with a start. His breaths heavy as he sat up. He was outside, at the back of his cabin. Questioning if be was alive or not, he wondered why he wasn't turned into a midnight snack.

Emptiness radiated off of him, feeling lost and found at the same time. His confusion for the emotion left him dumbfounded. Standing up slowly, walking towards the strawberry feilds. His name was called in the distance. As he sent a fleeting glance in the direction of the call he frowned. Nobody was in sight. He heard his name called again, there was no one in sight.

As he continued forward he noticed a golden haired boy running towards him. He caught his breath as he stood beside Nico. Holding up a hand in signal for him to wait. Once catching his breath he smiled at him widely.

"How are you holding up? Are your wounds all healed up?" He asked shyly.

Nico tilted his head in confusion before shrugging. Content with his answer he hugged him softly. Nico's eyebrows rose up at the sudden contact.

"O-Okay." He said patting his back awkwardly before he was released.

Will smiles at Nico, as people start coming towards the feilds he smiles and waves goodbye. A small smile plays on his lips as he watches Will walk away. Staring at him in wonder.

The rest of his day was normal, he practiced his sword fighting skills, arts and crafts and went to canoe lake. There wasn't a disturbance once in his day. At the time for dinner he offered a portion of his food to the gods.

He glanced over towards the Apollo table where he sees Will laughing along with his siblings heartily. The sight making him happy but sad all at once. He looked at the seet across from him, imagining Bianca sitting there with him. What it would be like if she had joined Camp Half Blood. If she had survived.

Nico looks back over towards the Apollo table to find Will meeting his gaze. He smiles at him and waves, Nico waves shyly before returning his attention towards his food. The campers finished their dinner and songs, everyone retreating back towards their cabins.

He walked towards cabin 13 staring at the ground. Sighing as he entered his cabin, he laid on his bed. Soon after a knock came from outside of his cabin. He listening for a few moments he realized the sound was coming from thr back of his cabin. Picking up his sword he cautiously made his way towards the back of thr cabin. He jumped back when he saw a face pressed against the window. Will Solace was smiling at him unabashedly through the other side of the window. Nico took a step forwards and opened the window.

"You shouldn't be here." Nico stated calmly.

"I know, but can I come in?" Will asked shyly. "I don't want to be eaten, and it's past curfew." He says.

Nico tenses for a moment before opening the window fully and letting him climb inside. He quickly shut the window and walked back towards his bed. He stands tapping his foot on the ground impatiently.

"So?" Nico prompts him. "There has to be a reason you came here."

An expression of confusion washes over Will's face before he smiles. "Just checking up on my friend."

Nico rolls his eyes and ushers him back towards the window. "Well, I'm fine. Now leave."

Will frowns before nodding and walking back towards the window. "Don't get eaten." Nico says before opening the window to let Will sneak out.

"Right." Will whispers with a hint of sadness in his voice before climbing out and running towards his cabin.

Nico sets his sword down before laying down on his bed. He falls asleep soundly, yet his dream isn't one to enjoy.

Nico stood before Hades. He was the same as before, ten feet tall, looming over Nico. His gaurded gaze cold. Nico looked up at him slowly, he had never been one to read emotions, yet he could see a hint of worry in his fathers eyes. He waits for his father to speak.

"Hello, son." He says addresing him. "I am aware you may not remember any of this, that is for your own good. But I must try to warn you.

"This gift can be a curse, may it break you or fix you is up to the choices you make. I hope I made the right decision. I just hope you will do well at least."

Nico furrows his eyebrows as he looks at his father in confusion. "I-I don't understand." He gasps, suprised by his ability to speak.

"Maybe not now, but all I wish to tell you is this. I have made the decision to offer you a gift. It can become a curse or a blessing. Try to heal."

Nico tries to ask what was his father speaking of. Why every sentence was like a puzzle. Why nothing makes sense to him. Why he was summoned at all, it is rare for it to ever even occur.

His father waves him off and Nico awakes in his bed. He shakes his head and stamds up, ready for a new day. Feeling slightly confused by something nagging at the back of his head. He shakes it off and continues getting ready.


	3. 3

Most of the week was in fact very normal, no problems came up at camp. No quests were given. Despite this something odd was happening. Will Solace was starting to appear around him more often. While at arts and crafts he had appeared claiming Chiron sent him to restock the supplies. Nico knew for sure it was a lie, because the person who restocked supplies had just... Literally just restocked the supplies moments before. Will had entered the arena when Nico did saying he was taking notes for something. Will Solace had never, not once in his life, ever needed to take 'notes' at the arena, and if he did why couldn't he specify what 'notes' he was taking. It was later in the afternoon when Nico finally confronted him.

Will following closely behind Nico, keeping a distance between them. Nico stops abruptly and turns to face Will. He points an accusing finger at Will before scolding him. "I'm fine, my wounds have healed. No one has put a hit on me." He says. "So why have you been following me all day?"

There is a long silence between the both of them before he speaks. "You make me sound like a stalker." He points out blatantly.

"Right now you've only shown me that you are." Nico says.

"U-Um, I can't directly talk to you. You would just get mad at me and tell me to go away." He says quietly.

Nico frowns before he speaks. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

Will clears his throat awkwardly and steps backwards. "N-Nothing." He says looking down at his feet.

Nico looks at Will, worry slightly evident in his features. "Okay then."

Nico watches Will walk away, a slump in his shoulders. Very slight but still there. He walks past the cabins, The Big House, arts and crafts area, and the volleyball court. He whispered a song Bianca would sing to him when she put him to bed. Making his way towards Thalia's Pine. He sat down beside her tree and laid down. The sun brought a warm glow to the the grass and made the tree glow. He walks back to his cabin, more calm then before. On his way he saw Jason and Will sneaking off. He ignores them, they most likely were being silly or mischievous. He sighed as he nears his cabin. Ready to take a nap before dinner in the pavilion.

When he enters the room and lays down for a nap he hears many campers talking on their way back to their respective cabins. It was most likely the people with no activities left and were doing the same as him. He heard only three voices that sounded familiar and one he could point out.

"I promise, all I was trying to do-" He heard Will say. He couldn't hear every word though.

"-Sure that he was-? ... It might have just been strange to him." The other voice spoke, who Nico realized was Jason.

"Come on, he should be used to it by now." He heard Percy chime in.

"I didn't mean to-... only to talk."

Nico shuts his eyes sleepily, ready to go to sleep. He doesn't want to listen in on their conversation since it seems private. Later when Nico wakes up he finds he has a few minutes to arrive at the Dining Pavilion. He receives his food, offers it, then takes a seat at his table. Occasionally he felt a few eyes on him, but they only seemed like small glances. He eats his food quietly and stares at his plate blankly. Nico sighs and leaves to his cabin a bit before the others. Ever since two days ago, after he awoke he wold feel slightly more tired and confused. He just hopes, whatever the reason possibly was, that it would come to an end. As soon as he shuts his eyes he begins to dream.

Bianca was standing before Nico. She is standing next to Hades throne with a solemn and wary look in her eyes. Nico looked down, tears forming in his eyes. It has been a long time since he has been face to face with his sister. Bianca looks at Nico, pleading something with her eyes. Before saying something Hades speaks over her.

"I believe you don't quite understand what a great gift I have presented for you." He says, Bianca looks furious at his words.

She shakes her head vigorously. Hades waves her away and she disappears from Nico's sight."I thought she would understand, this is good for you." He says giving off a cold smile. The warmest he could give.

Nico looks at his father frantically, trying to understand what was happening. "I honestly have never done something so marvelous." Hades says. "It truly is a wonder that I could provide," Hades says pausing. "My son with such an amazing gift."

Nico shakes his head angrily, finally he was able to speak. "What are you playing at? Is this some joke? What's this gi-"

He gets cut off by Hades as his father glared at him. "Watch what you say." He warned.

Nico sighs and apologizes sarcastically. "Sorry father, I am sorry I asked you a question that was relevant."

Hades shakes his head but accepts it."I cannot tell you the gift son, for it would ruin it all. It wouldn't matter anymore, you would just be considered insane."

Nico glares at his father, he was growing angrier by the second. How come his father was only speaking in codes and puzzles in each of his dreams. Why could he only remember what happened in previous dreams when he was in one? Nico considers it fore a moment, believing for a second it might just be a sick and twisted nightmare. Then he realizes it most likely is just a demigod dream. As hades starts to wave him off Nico's screams are mute. He yells at his father to tell him what the last sentence meant, but sadly Hades is controlling everything in the dream, and that somehow meant his voice.

He wakes up with a start once again, dumbfounded by his tiredness and leftover anger bubbling in his chest. He shakes it off and heads out to the Canoe Lake, his first activity he was going to do today.


	4. 4

Will timidly walks up to Nico by the canoe lake, before reaching him he turns away seconds before. Maybe he is being weird, he thinks to himself. It's not normal to be following him around. Despite his usual thinking he turns around, Nico was going to have to speak to him. He had to know himself.

"Nico," he says a bit too loud. "Am I annoying you?"

Nico turns to look at him, as he gets into a canoe he turns away and starts to head further in the lake.

"Right now you are." Nico says before Will is out of ear shot.

Will grins at his response, he wasn't annoying. Though at the moment he was, he decided to fix that and leave. Nico silently watches him leave, slightly confused by the way Will blended in with the sun that glittered across the grass. Nico thinks he looks almost like a sun spirit or something of the sort by the way his figure glows. He smiles to himself, must be one of the perks of being a son of Apollo.

Nico turns his attention towards the other campers on the lake. Most were calmly going across the lake. Others fooling around in the canoe that they almost capsized. He looks at the scenery calmly, the waters glistens from the sunlight.

His mind wanders to the conversation Will, Percy, and Jason had.

"I promise, all I was trying to do-" Will says.

"-Sure that he was-? ... It might have just been strange to him." Jason spoke.

"Come on, he should be used to it by now." Percy chimes in.

"I didn't mean to-... only to talk."

He had heard so little but the matter seemed big. He thinks about Will and Percy in a conversation, they didn't talk much. In fact they almost never did. But maybe he didn't know everything, Will probably was friends with many people he wasn't aware he was friends with. Nico wonders why Jason hadn't visited him yet if he was visiting from Camp Jupiter. If he wasn't visiting him today he would personally confront Jason himself.

The time for him to head to the arena had arrived. As he walks towards the arena he notices Will heading in the same general direction as well. Once inside he walks into the circle, awaiting someone to work with him. Nobody pairs up with Nico, they were all aware he had helped save them and the camp, no one wanted to go against someone with that much strength. Except for two people, Clarisse and Will. Nico beckons them, Clarisse looks puzzled for a moment before assuming he meant he wanted to battle her.

Clarisse steps up, anger radiating off of her as she readied herself. Nico swings first, Clarisse dodges swiftly before lunging for Nico. Nico steps aside, which makes her lose her footing, but only slightly. He slashes at the back of her arm which was unprotected, she clenches her teeth and huffs in anger. Clarisse side steps, avoiding another swing and takes a swing at Nico, hitting his side. He clutches his side and staggers backwards. She uses that for her advantage and attempts to take another swing that Nico blocks with his sword. They continue for a while, no one winning before Nico calls it off. They sit down, sweaty and out of breathe.

Scanning the arena for Will suddenly, Nico notices he isn't present. He ponders on it for a moment, concluding that maybe he only came to duel him but left when he couldn't. Though that wouldn't make sense, he could have just stayed at the infirmary, there was no need to come all that way just to duel him. He shrugs if off and grabs a bottle of water.

Later while Nico relaxes at Thalia's Pine, Annabeth sits next to him. She doesn't speak for a moment. "Thalia's Pine huh?" She asks, more of a statement. "I miss her." She notes.

Nico nods but remains silent.

"I was coming to visit the tree but since you here," she says. "I wanted to to talk to you."

Nico shrugs and lays back on the grass by her pine.

"How are you holding up? I don't

know what happened but I bet the whole thing took a toll on you." She says with an understanding look in her eyes.

Nico tilts his head to the side in confusion. "What thing?" He asks.

"If you don't want to answer it's okay, no need to pretend it didn't happen."

Nico studies her for a second then sits up. "I don't know what you are talking about." He states plainly.

Annabeth's mouth drops slightly. "I-I understand you don't want to talk about it." she says, her voice cracking slightly. "I'll leave you alone."

Annabeth stands up and walks back to her cabin, Nico watches her, unsure of what had just happened. Did he forget something? Had she told him something something serious he forgot? Nico looks down and frowns, suddenly he felt like someone was chipping away at his existence. He couldn't grasp the origin of the feeling, why it was happening. Why did he suddenly feel so lost? He shakes his head and stands up, walking back to his cabin silently in deep thought. What was he missing from the picture?


	5. 5

Nico stays up that night, concerned about his previous conversation with Annabeth. Why did she seem so worried? Annabeth wasn't the type to be worried, more of the type to be worried about. If she got angry, you had better be scared for your life. Yet today she was everything opposite of that. Nico turns uncomfortably, trying to sleep. His eyes stay wide open despite this. Nico sighs and attempts to close his eyes one last time.

He falls asleep after a while and starts dreaming.

_When he appears at the foot of Hades throne he almost rolls his eyes. Again? He thought to himself. Hades has to be kidding, he is getting tired of this. Hades looks at Nico coldly. Almost as if he is reading Nico's mind he speaks._

_"I shall not bother you tonight, but I must warn you." _

_Nico can't resist, he rolls his eyes._

_"Do not lose yourself, do not fall in." Hades says._

_Nico tilts his head in confusion. What kind of parent told their son riddles? This wasn't a movie or a drama show. Why couldn't he just tell him directly? Before he speaks Hades waves him off half heartedly. _

Nico's sleep was more peaceful than before. After the disturbance his body relaxes, his mind was more at ease. He sleeps without any dreams. He later wakes up to knocks on his door. He sits up and walks to the door lazily. He peers from behind the door then opens it fully. Percy stood at his door looking on edge.

"Why are you here so early in the morning?" Nico asks in annoyance.

"Relax, it's only 6 am." He comments.

Nico looks at him strangely, Percy was never one to get up early. He steps outside and shuts the cabin door. He waits for Percy to speak.

"Chiron wants to see us, he says it is important."

Nico sighs and goes into his cabin to carry his sword. He never feels right going somewhere without it. He returns and sets off for the Big House with Percy. Chiron sits at a table with Mr. D as they enter. Mr. D looks up and frowns.

"Must we really have kids around so early in the morning?"

Chiron ignores his comment and sets his cards down. "Good morning, Percy, Nico." He says greeting them.

They return the greetings. Nico looks around anxiously.

"You two have been given a quest."

Nico tenses at the mention. Something always goes wrong on a quest. Someone gets lost, dies, or goes insane. He hated quests. Chiron looks at Nico.

"But, you are allowed to bring 2 others along." He says.

Percy and Nico exchange looks. Percy clears his throat.

"What type of quest is this again?"

Chiron takes a moment to respond. "We have been alerted by a Satyr that there are 3 demigods in Los Angeles."

Percy tilts his head in confusion. "What does that have to deal with us?"

Chiron raises an eyebrow. "These demigods are located at The Lotus Hotel and Casino. You two just happen to have been there.

"Percy, you helped snap your friends out of the trance and lead them out. Nico, you stayed in there longest so I assume you must know your way around."

They both nod in unison.

"I want to bring Grover." He says.

Nico takes a moment, he thinks about his conversation with Annabeth earlier.

"Annabeth." Percy looks at him strangely.

Chiron nods, "Well it is set. Prepare yourselves, you'll want to be leaving early tomorrow."

"Nico?" he looks at Chiron. "Please visit the Oracle."

Nico nods and shuffles to the attic. This is finally his chance to get to the bottom of something. He wouldn't have picked her just for the sake of getting answers. But he senses he needs as much time to understand what is happening. It feels connected to whatever emptiness he sometimes feels after waking up.

He doesn't like the Oracle, or the attic. Being up there didn't give him the creeps, it was just uncomfortable. He made his way up, walking towards the Oracle. He stands in front of her.

"So, is there like a uh-" he pauses. "a riddle or something you have for me?" He asks awkwardly.

He waits for a moment and nothing happens. He almost walks away when a mist spreads across the room and the Oracle's chilling voice fills the space.

_"A leader will lose their place_

_One will suffer from a gods given fate_

_Your most important key will be lost_

_A survivor shall be bitten by the colds frost"_

Nico lets go of a breath he wasn't aware he was holding in. Whatever it meant, it hadn't sounded very nice.


	6. 6

Nico walks towards Chiron hesitantly. Chiron and Percy looks at him expectantly, Mr. D still invested in his cards.

"What did it say?" Chiron asks.

"A leader will lose their place. Uh, one person suffer from a gods fate." he thinks for a moment. "and my most important key will be lost. A survivor swill be bitten by frost?" He says unsure of the words.

Chiron furrows his eyebrow, thinking about the information he was presented. He looks back at Nico, frowning.

"Is something wrong?" He asks.

"I believe a lot is, but there is nothing I can do in this situation." he sighs. "I cannot do anything to contradict this prophecy, I just hope I am not correct." he mumbles to himself.

Nico nods and says no more, grabbing Percy's hand, he drags him outside. They head separate ways, Percy goes to find Grover, and Nico, Annabeth. He walks up to the Athena cabin, knocking on the door. The door opens and Malcolm looks at him. He has bed head and bags under his eyes.

"Annabeth? I think your needed here." He calls over his shoulder.

Malcolm exits shyly and Annabeth appears at the door. She looks at Nico in confusion.

"Uh-?"

Nico looks down at his feet. "Chiron assigned me and Percy a quest. And I wanted to bring you along." He says.

"Oh, okay. When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow." Nico says.

Annabeth looks at him in surprise. She thinks for a moment before responding.

"Okay, we can talk about this later today." She says.

Nico nods and walks away. He wondered why Annabeth looked as if she felt slightly apprehensive. This was all very unlike Annabeth, that wasn't at all. He looks down at his feet again as he walks, finally realizing he has to change into suitable wear. Not many campers were out, it was still very early. He quickly makes his way to the Hades cabin to change. In time he walks out in black jeans, and hoodie that covered his CHP shirt.

It is now around 8, the camp is bustling with more life. He spots Will and turns to walk the other way. He isn't completely sure why he was walking away, but he was. Will notices his change in course and hurries after him. He catches up with Nico and lightly taps on his shoulder. Nico huffs, no way out of the situation. He turns to face him. Will looks at him, smiling.

"Hello." He says.

Nico doesn't speak. "Greetings to you too." Will says.

"Hi, did you want to talk about something?" He asks shifting from one foot to the other.

"Just to say hi to you!" He says with a gleeful smile.

Nico looks away quickly. "Well, hi." He says.

"Hi."

There's a silence between them. Nico looks around awkwardly.

"I-uh, I have to go to my um-" he looks around again. "activity for today."

Will nods and Nico walks off.

'WHAT WAS THAT, NICO?' He asks himself. Why is lying so hard? Because Will didn't deserve it, that's why. Nico knew he has been avoiding Will more and more recently.


	7. 7

He walks around doing nothing. Dodging anyone he sees with blonde hair around him, soon he realizes, that was not a good idea. As Nico dodges the blonde headed figure coming his way behind a building, he notices he's cornered himself. Annabeth comes to where he cornered himself, glaring daggers.

"Why have you been dashing away every time I try to speak to you?"

Realization hits him and he looks down, guilty. Though he knows he can't just say it was because he thought it could have been Will. He didn't want to confess he hadn't wanted to be caught by him, because he would feel like a terrible person. Annabeth maintains her vicious glare awaiting a response. When he doesn't respond she sighs.

"Tell me later, rightnow I need to know exactly what this quest is about." she says. "I would have expected to be there when it was decided but I guess not this time." Annabeth says to him.

"Sorry," he says to her. "Chiron called me and Percy to the Big House early in the morning saying we had to be given a quest, a Satyr told him there were 3 demigods in Los Angeles."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Why a quest for that?"

Nico looked at her strangely before explaining. "Their in that casino, Percy and I just happen to have experience with-"

"I don't?" She says cutting him off.

"You do, Chiron just said because Percy snapped you guys out of it,"

There's an uncomfortable silence that follows. Annabeth quickly breaks it. "Continue." She says irritably.

"Yeah, so I went to see the oracle and it said something about a leader losing place, someone suffering from a gods fate, my most important key being lost, and a survivor being bitten by a colds frost."

She looks at him with calculating eyes, thinking thoughtfully. Her glare growing less prominent as she did so.

"That doesn't sound good." She says after a moment.

"Obviously." Nico says.

"Thanks for pointing that out, Nico." She says sarcastically.

"One, sarcasm isn't on your side right now, and two, then why say out the obvious?" He points out.

"That's not what I- just listen, if we're going into LA to get a group of demigods why would anything about frost, and keys be involved? That makes no sense, it's just like a pickup and deliver.

"we might run into monsters but going to the oracle for this? Something seems wrong."

Nico thought about it for a moment before agreeing. "Wait, how many of us are going?" She asks worriedly.

That's when he knows she has a really bad feeling about the quest, Annabeth does not get worried unless she knows in her gut, there's a valid reason to be. "Four." Nico says.

"What did Chiron have to say about it?" She asks him.

Nico looks around uneasily. "Actually, he never said anything about it."

"Nico, you and I both know three people on a quest is as big as it should get, and if not, Chiron always gives us his input on that." Annabeth looks at Nico, her glare completely absent.

"Chiron must know something we don't." Nico says to her.

"I doubt he'll tell us what it is."

Nico frowns and shakes his head. "This is not got, you should tell Percy and Grover too."

Annabeth agrees, her eyebrows in a furrow, thinking deeply as she leaves. Nico thinks about the reason he wanted to bring her, and how finding those answers are now not the biggest problem now. Then something in the back of his mind urges him to think it may not be, but it's apart of it.


	8. 8

Percy and Grover are standing by the canoe lake when Annabeth walks over to them. She approaches something, Grover waves happily before realizing she didn't look happy. Percy does the same. Annabeth stands next to Percy and he rubs her shoulders as she begins what she has to say.

"I think it's safe to say people are going to die on this quest." He stops mid motion and Grover drops the tin can he was holding.

"Uh, Annabeth?" Percy asks. "Why did you uh- say that?"

"Simple," She says, she fills them in on what she told Nico and by the end Grover had downed a good 6 tin cans and Percy had his good vibe crushed to the core.

"We're all screwed." He says.

"Beyond." Grover says. "We're all going to die."

Annabeth looks at the worriedly. "We all have managed to make it through the other quests, we can make it through this one." Annabeth says attempting to lift their spirits.

Grovers leaves to continue packing leaving just Percy and Annabeth. He looks at her and frowns.

"You think we're going to fail."

She plays with the beads on her necklace. "I can't think of any other outcomes."

Percy shakes his head. "I'm sure you can, daughter of Athena, remember?"

She chuckles and shoves hi lightly. "Thanks, Seaweed brain."

-x-x-x-x-

Nico walks to the first actual activity he had for the day, this time not avoiding any blonde headed person that came into his sight. He walks to arts and crafts and takes his time getting there. When he gets there he sits by a canvas and begins painting. The person there suggests to everyone to draw/paint a weapon if they have trouble deciding on what to do. Nico disregards the suggestion and lets himself do something random. Or was it not? He wasn't sure of what he was doing as he painted, it to him almost feels like some type of muscle memory. Even thought he'd never done that before.

He ends up painting an icy blue background which turns into a grey and black towards the ends of tha canvas. In the center is a ball of yellow, light? Whatever is it was it looked nice. Everyone had already cleared out except for Nico after the activity. Will showed up by plopping down in a chair next to Nico, making him jump in surprise.

"Don't do that, tell me your here before you just- do that."

He laughs and Nico scowls. "Are you laughing at me? This is not funny."

"Sure is." He says before his laugh becomes more faint.

"Why are you here?" Nico says with a bite in his voice.

He doesn't understand why when their talking it's almost like a part of him is trying to rid him away.

"Sorry." He mumbles.

"It's fine, and I was just checking up on my dearest," he pauses making a small short awkward silence. "Friend."

Will smiles widely at Nico. Nico stands up and takes his painting with him. He moves it to another easle for the paint he used when he touched it up to dry. Will followed him and watched as he put the painting up silently.

"Must you always be here when no one else is?" Nico asks irritably. "I feel like your stalking me or something." He lifts his hand to his mouth at his sudden remark.

Will seems to short-circuit at his remark. "Uhm, I just - Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come off like that."

He's tempted to ask what he intended it to come off as but he knew it might come out with a bitter tone. What was up with him?

"It's fine, I'm sorry too, that sounded pretty rude." He says avoiding eye contact.

He has to work on apologizing. And eye contact too he guesses. Will smiles gleefully and he looks at the ground, there was no reason to smile after being snapped at.

"I know you didn't mean it, I'm sorry though, it seems I've been pushing one too many buttons."

Nico looks at his painting. He has nothing to reply with.

"I actually have to go to the Big House, so I guess see you later." He says waving before leaving.

Nico opens his mouth to say that he probably wouldn't in a bit but he was already walking out.


End file.
